At the Start of Time
by jennifermorisons
Summary: After Mary finally marries Bash, they share a quick moment of happiness before joining everyone else in the ballroom. Set a few months after 1x09, canon divergent. Mainly just because I wanted to give Mary and Bash the wedding I know they won't have. Can be read as a sequel to "we found each other in the dark" or as a standalone.


**A/N: **Set a few months after "We Found Each Other in the Dark", but can be read as a standalone. Basically it's just the wedding and happy ending that my otp won't fricking have this season and after the anons I got today on tumblr I JUST REALLY NEEDED A HAPPY MASH MOMENT.

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It was the morning of their wedding. It had been just over four months since Mary had run away with Bash, wholly intent on leaving the French Court behind her and forgetting everything about her time there, just over four months since she'd realized just what it was she felt for Henry's eldest son. It had just over four months since she'd surrendered to those feelings in the inn they'd stayed at, only to be found the next morning, sound asleep and wrapped up in Sebastian's arms. Things had escalated from there, snowballing faster than she could ever have imagined. They'd been dragged back to the palace, Bash had nearly lost his life for her, and Mary had developed a drastic and risky plan. She'd been so worried about Bash and Francis both that it had seemed like the only option at the time, but now that she was staring at herself in the cloudy mirror, an elegant white gown being laced up by her ladies and a veil being threaded through her crown by Kenna, she wondered if it had been the only choice all along. She was nervous, she realized, but more excited than anything else. She must have been shaking, because Lola grabbed her hands and smiled at her, reaching up to fix the crown - Kenna hadn't quite gotten the knack of keeping it in place in Mary's hair yet.

"Mary, you look beautiful," Greer crooned softly, her hands wrapped around her queen's upper arms as she looked at Mary in the mirror, and Mary smiled shakily.

"I'm nervous," she laughed, pulling one hand delicately from Lola's grip to rest her palm on the top of her stomach. "I don't know why."

"This is a big deal," Lola soothed, "this is the rest of your life. It's alright to be nervous. But Bash loves you, the legitimization has nearly gone through...don't be scared."

"I'm not scared," Mary said immediately, with more conviction than she'd said almost anything in her life. "I'm just...antsy. I'm ready to be married," she confided, and Kenna grinned.

"Then let's get you out there," she teased, the girls guiding Mary to the door quickly.

The chapel was just a few hallways over, but they rushed, running and laughing like children while Greer fussed over Mary's dress, helping her hold her skirts up, lest she risk tearing them. They immediately huddled in the antechamber, Lola checking the clock and clucking loudly. "We're late," she hissed, and Kenna immediately poked her head inside the chapel.

"Bash is already up there," she commented, her voice a little muffled. "He looks so handsome, Mary-" she started, but Mary had already stuck her head in as well. The sight of her fiance immediately set her nerves at ease, but she pulled away before he could notice her.

"Can I go in yet?" She all but whined, and Lola hid a laugh by pressing her lips together tightly.

"I don't see why not. He's most certainly waiting for you," a voice said, nearly ringing out, and Kenna and Greer both jumped, though Lola had a bit more poise as Diane walked up to the four of them. She smiled at Mary, who dipped her knees slightly into a curtsy, knowing that Diane should be the one genuflecting but finding it impossible to imagine the dignified woman in front of her kneeling to anyone. "The cardinal's certainly ready to start, and if he isn't...well, that's his own fault," Diane smiled, her eyes sparkling, and she nodded once to Mary before opening the doors to the chapel grandly and sweeping in. She left them open behind her, and Mary took that as permission, shooing her ladies in before her. Greer stayed behind to hold Mary's train, and it was with one final smile to her friend that the young queen finally walked through the doors.

The audience rose, music played hurriedly to catch up to her, but really, all Mary could focus on was the look on Bash's face. The awe and adoration she saw was nearly enough to send her sprinting down the aisle, and tears stung at her eyes as she held herself back from doing just that. He was staring at her like she was the only person in the room, and to him, maybe she was. He'd always looked at her like that, and Mary stepped forward a little faster, forcing Greer to do the same as she hurried to get to Bash in a dignified but hurried manner. Distantly she was aware of laughter in the pews, but by the time she reached the altar, she couldn't be bothered. She reached for Bash's hand immediately, and he took it, his palm warm and steady against hers. The ceremony passed in a blur from there - the only moments that really stood out were how much Bash's voice shook when he recited his vows with deadly seriousness, and how much her hands shook when she went to put the ring on his finger. He had to hold her hand with his free one to steady her, and the crowd laughed again, though Mary didn't mind it for the look in Bash's eyes. She remembered kneeling for part of the ceremony, remembered needing help from Bash on one side and Lola on the other to stand in the monster of a gown she had on, she remembered the look in Bash's eyes when he was given permission to kiss her, and then she remembered nearly nothing other than the speed with which he got rid of her veil in an effort to cradle her cheeks and kiss her like he'd never kissed her before, like he was dying and she was the cure to what ailed him.

And maybe she was.

There were cheers, lewd hollers, but Bash let her go quickly, pressing his lips to her forehead just after, and took her hand again. There was supposed to be a ball after, supposed to be dancing and food and celebration, but Mary couldn't imagine being around polite company for so long, even with him at her side. She had things to tell him, things to do, so when they were all whisked out of the chapel and towards the ballroom, she seized her chance. Telling her ladies loudly that she thought her heel might have broken sometime during the ceremony, she managed to get Lola and Kenna out of the crowd, with Bash still holding her hand and looking at her worriedly.

"Cover for me," she hissed at Lola, who nodded immediately and diverted the attention of the nobility, allowing Mary to all but drag Bash into the nearest room, a deserted bedchamber she'd never seen before.

"Mary-" he started, confused, but Mary pressed a finger to his lips and then quickly shut the door, not wanting to be overheard.

"I think I might go mad if I have to be around anyone other than you right now," she said with a soft smile. "I just wanted a moment alone with my husband," the word tasted sweeter than honey on her tongue, "we can go back in just a moment."

Smiling down at her with joy that threatened to split her heart in two, he gathered her into his arms quickly, smoothing her hair back from her face. "My wife," he whispered with reverence, and she leaned up to kiss him.

"My husband," she repeated against his lips, her fingers trailing across his cheek. He'd shaved for the wedding, and she was fascinated with how different he looked and felt without the stubble. "My king."

"Not just yet," he reminded her, kissing her quickly, and she rolled her eyes in a decidedly unladylike manner, much to his amusement.

"King Consort of Scotland," she informed him cheekily, making him proud with the sass in her tone. "France can wait."

Bash nodded, still grinning, and slid a hand into her hair almost absentmindedly. "I'm yours now, my love."

Her heart nearly threatened to burst, and she pressed her body against his as though she wanted to melt into him. "And I'm yours," she agreed softly, tucking her head under his chin and letting him hold her in silence. Finally, though, the whole purpose of this was pulling at her nerves, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling the upper half of her body away to study him.

"I have something to tell you," she said nervously, trying to ignore the shadow of worry that crossed his features. "It's not bad...at least...I don't _think_ it is...I mean, it's good news," she stuttered, clearly making it worse the more she spoke. Bash's face was almost impossible to look at now for anxiety, and Mary hurried to spit it out. "I love you," she started, and all the color seemed to drain from his face for a moment before his grip tightened on her, a smile dawning in his eyes long before it reached his lips. He lifted her up before she could finish, spinning her around once and nearly knocking over a table for his trouble, and Mary squealed with laughter. "Bash! Bash, put me down! I'm not finished!"

Grumbling, he reluctantly put her down, still smiling at her like she was the entire center of his universe, and it nearly broke her heart to be so happy.

"I think..." she started, nerves hitting her stomach again, worried that he might not take it the way she hoped. But then again, this was Bash - how could it be anything but good news for him? Taking a deep breath, she smiled when he touched her face again, curling her fingers around his palm. "Do you remember," she finally starting, finding it a bit easier this way, "a couple months ago, after we'd returned to the palace...when we..." she trailed off, and sighed at the confusion in his eyes. "After my nightmare," she finally said, hoping that would trigger it, and realization dawned in his eyes. She'd had a nightmare, once, and with their quarters so close now, Bash had heard her screaming and ran into her room in a panic. Mary had refused to let him leave after that, clinging to him, and when it was clear she wouldn't be able to sleep, she'd kissed him. One thing had rather quickly led to another, and they'd made love for hours after, into the quiet hours of sunrise. Nothing had gotten done the rest of the day, but neither one of them had had complaints. But it seemed now there might be repercussions from that night of happiness. "Bash," she started again, taking another deep breath. "I think I'm with child."

The silence was deafening.

She searched his eyes for a moment, panic catching in her throat - she was so stupid, why did she say anything? She wasn't even _sure_, it was just a hunch, just a week of missed monthly bleeding, just a fear and a stress, and then suddenly Bash had lifted her up again, nearly crushing her to his chest and crowing loudly, so loudly that she was sure someone would find them, and she hurried to shush him. But Bash, it seemed, was having none of that.

"You're my _wife_, you're carrying my _child_, how am I supposed to be calm?" He laughed, setting her back on her feet and kissing her before she could respond, making her knees weak as she melted against him again.

"I'm not _positive,_" she started, her cheeks flaming as he released her lips.

"I don't care," Bash asserted immediately, lifting her barely off the floor and spinning her in a half turn to rest her back against the wall. His grin was so wide she was sure it would split his face in two, and his eyes were shining with joy, and perhaps tears, but in the light she wasn't too sure. "We're married. We're having a _child_, Mary." His voice quieted suddenly, a thumb stroking her cheekbone. "Never in a million years did I think I could be this happy," he whispered, more to himself than anything, and Mary felt the weight of his words down to her bones.

"Me either," she whispered suddenly, the words surprising even herself, and she smoothed her hands over the silk of his doublet.

He opened his mouth to speak when there was suddenly a knock on the door, and they both froze immediately, staring at each other. They both breathed a sigh of relief when Lola was hissing through the keyhole at them to hurry up, that people were wondering where they were. Crossing the room immediately and pulling open the door, Bash grinned down a shocked Lola, who was still crouched over a little. She straightened immediately, toeing off a shoe and slapping him on the chest with it. He sprung back, trying to dodge, and Mary burst into laughter at the sight.

"We were just heading back," she promised Lola quickly, looping an arm through Bash's and dragging him out of the room, smiling at her friend and sliding her hand down to lace her fingers with Bash's as she did so. "We'll see you in there," she promised Lola, leading Bash towards the ballroom.

They were almost there when Bash slowed suddenly, kissing her temple and smiling against her hair. "I love you," he murmured into the dark strands, and she leaned against him.

"I love you too," she whispered back, smiling at the floor, her free hand touching her still flat stomach, hoping beyond hope that her hunch was more than just that, that the nauseous feeling she'd had the past few days wasn't just pre-wedding nerves. Still, the feeling in the pit of her stomach didn't feel wrong, and while only time would tell, Mary found herself nearly praying that she was right.

"We're married," Bash said suddenly, as though the thought had just occurred to him, and Mary looked up to smile at him. "We're married," he repeated, "I'm a _king_. We might be having a _baby_, Mary-" He started, emotion clouding his tone and nearly cracking his words. She touched his cheek gently, brushing her fingers over his skin.

"How very unexpected," she finished for him with a curl of her lips, and he pressed his own back to hers immediately.


End file.
